Agriculture
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Bee Swarms are Invading the Philly Area; Beekeepers Protecting Both People and Bees
Bee swarms have started popping up throughout the Philadelphia region, making a lot of people with stinging insect phobias very nervous and creating plenty of work for the swarm removers and beekeepers from Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild, writes Victor Fiorillo for the Philadelphia Magazine. Sharif El-Mekki, a guild board member and former Philadelphia school principal, recently…
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In the Garden With Andrew: Great Yellow Magnolias
By Andrew Bunting In the magnolia world of the 1970s, creating a yellow magnolia was considered the holy grail. The cucumber tree magnolia, Magnolia acuminata, has slightly yellowish flowers, and people theorized that — if the right second parent could be identified — a yellow-flowering hybrid could be produced. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s breeding program…
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Brood X Cicadas Invasion Will Yield a Stealthy Response from Mother Nature in Montco Communities
This year’s emerging crop of Brood X cicadas is about to yield another wildlife phenomena — one that may be as unwelcome as the bugs themselves, reports Doug Gross in the Yardley Patch. Next month, thousands of Brood X cicadas will wake from a 17-year underground slumber. Then they’ll wriggle to the surface and sing in their trademark buzzy voices in our Montgomery County communities. But that…
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Andrew in the Garden: Beyond Rhododendrons—Great Broadleaved Evergreens for the Garden
By Andrew Bunting As we leave winter behind, I am reminded of how important evergreen trees and shrubs are to the garden. On the East Coast, we enjoy an amazing diversity of broadleaved evergreens rhododendrons and azaleas, which are staples in many of our gardens. However, there are many other fantastic broadleaved evergreen shrubs to…
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Moo-nlighting DelVal University Senior Isn’t Sheepish about Her Future Plans
W.B. Saul High School, a 150-acre working farm in Roxborough, trains the farmers of tomorrow. One grad, TaiLyn Lyghts, returns to campus every weekend, supplementing her Livestock Science and Management coursework at Delaware Valley University with real-life experience, reports Kristen A. Graham for The Philadelphia Inquirer. “This is full circle for me,” Lyghts said, reflecting on her reconnection with the animals she nurtured in…
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Oh No, It’s Back Again! Learn How to Destroy the Spread of Spotted Lanternfly
Spotted lanternflies are once again spreading across the region. You can help stop the advancement of this invasive pest by finding their eggs and destroying them, writes Grace Dickinson for The Philadelphia Inquirer. “Honestly, it’s something fun you can be doing outside right now,” said Shannon Powers, press secretary for the state Department of Agriculture.…
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In the Garden with Andrew: The Majestic Pine
There is no more widely planted conifer in the Delaware Valley than the white pine, Pinus strobus. A popular conifer as communities were being developed over the last hundred years, white pines are dotted across the landscape throughout the region. The white pine is native throughout the northeastern states and the Upper Midwest, as well…
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Local Nonprofit Wants to Return Pennsylvania Rye to Its Former Glory
Pennsylvania’s rye was once as famous as the Philly cheesesteaks, and one nonprofit in nearby Bucks County is hoping to bring it back to its former glory once again, writes Jenn Ladd for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Delaware Valley Fields Foundation was founded by Laura Fields to champion farmers and their work. Now, it also champions…
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In the Garden with Andrew: The Paperbark Maple Has Perfect Winter Appeal
By Andrew Bunting Over the years, I have attempted to be more and more mindful of adding plants to the garden that will provide winter interest. Fortunately, in this area there are many choices. There are many great broad-leaved and coniferous evergreens. There are many great choices of winterberry hollies which lose their leaves in…
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New Green Resource Center with Greenhouse, Teaching Farm Coming to Norristown Farm Park
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society is bringing a new Green Resource Center to Norristown Farm Park that will include amenities and services to benefit the entire community. The PHS Green Resource Center at Farm Park is expected to become operational in spring and will include a teaching farm, a greenhouse powered in part by solar energy,…
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Votes in for Ruth ‘Butter’ Ginsburg, Baby Yoda, and Many Other Buttery DIY Creations at PA Farm Show
Ruth ‘Butter’ Ginsburg and Butter Baby Yoda are just a few of the many amazing buttery creations that viewers could vote for at the annual Pennsylvania Farm Show, writes Danya Henninger for the Billy Penn. Since the PA Farm Show has had to go into the virtual realm this year, the beloved tradition of a…
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Wide Open Spaces—Montgomery County Preserves 10,000 Acres of Farmland
The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners has announced the County has reached a historic milestone by preserving 10,000 acres of farmland. Over 30 years, the Montgomery County Agricultural Land Preservation Program has worked to preserve open space and support productive farms in the County, which also provides important open spaces and scenic vistas. The Commissioners…
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Washington Post Details How an Area Flower Farmer Kept Up Her Spirits During a Time of Stress, Sacrifice
The Farm at Oxford – which grows thousands of peonies, dahlias, and bulbs each year – has added a vegetable garden to its 12-acre property during the pandemic, writes Adrian Higgins for The Washington Post. After realizing she wanted to start growing vegetables on her land, the farm’s owner, Mara Tyler, contacted her friend, Matthew…
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Let Goats Feast on Your Christmas Tree by Donating it to Awbury Arboretum
If you do not like the idea of throwing away your Christmas tree once the holiday season is over, there is a much better way to dispose of it, writes Gina Tomaine for Philadelphia Magazine. The Philly Goat Project is hosting tree-cycling at Awbury Arboretum on select dates. To participate, you need to contribute your…
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Springfield Township Commissioners Sign Letter of Support For PA’s Participation in Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
Springfield Township Commissioners have signed a letter of support for Pennsylvania’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, writes Betsy Wallace for the Chestnut Hill Local. Springfield has joined the first group of Montgomery County municipalities that include Ambler, Hatboro, North Wales, Plymouth, Upper Dublin, and Upper Merion which have come out in support of…
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Two Gander Farm Had to Reinvent Itself to Survive Pandemic
Trey and Deirdre Flemming, who run Downingtown’s Two Gander Farm, had to reinvent their business model during the pandemic to make sure their certified organic farm survived, writes John Fennell for The Loquitur, Cabrini University’s student newspaper. The Flemmings grow fresh produce that they sell at farmers markets and to grocery chains. Also, they grow…
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Researchers Asking for Public’s Help In Locating and Controlling Spotted Lanternflies
Researchers from the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel and the engineering department at the university are asking for the public’s help in creating a visual database of spotted lanternfly egg masses that can be found clinging to trees and vehicles, among other surfaces, writes Frank Kummer for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Pictures sent in by…
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Help Prevent Spotted Lanternfly Population Growth By Destroying the Eggs
If you are ready to continue the fight against spotted lanternfly, now is the ideal time to kill the invasive pest’s eggs to prevent further population growth in 2021, writes Samantha Spengler for the Philadelphia Magazine. This season’s crop of insects will die as soon as the first hard freeze hits, but their eggs will…
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